Retraction and Reflection: The Gunung Padang        Controversy and the Challenges of Peer Review in Archaeological        Prospection

doi:10.4000/14nul

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49-1 | 2025
16th International Conference on Archeological Prospection

7. Archeological ressource management & societal valorisation

Retraction and Reflection: The Gunung Padang Controversy and the Challenges of Peer Review in Archaeological Prospection

Eileen G Ernenwein

p. 607-610

https://doi.org/10.4000/14nul

Abstract | Index | Excerpt | References | About the author

Abstract

False claim of World’s oldest pyramid published due to peer review oversights, Evolving scholarly publishing practices are negatively impacting academic integrity, Archaeological Prospection methods are increasingly exploited for fringe narratives

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Index terms

Keywords:

Gunung Padang, pseudoarchaeology, retraction, peer review, nationalism

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Excerpt

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Full-text article available to subscribers or on a "pay per view" basis. It will be available on this URL in January 2027.
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Outline

Publication

Retraction

Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead

First lines

Publication

On 20 October, 2023, Archaeological Prospection published the now-retracted article “Geo-archaeological prospecting of Gunung Padang buried prehistoric pyramid in West Java, Indonesia” (Natawidjaja et al., 2024). The authors used ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography, seismic tomography, trenching, core drilling, and radiocarbon dating to study layers beneath the prehistoric site, concluding that they had discovered the world’s oldest pyramid, built 27,000 years ago. If true, this would rewrite the history of human civilization. The article quickly captured public attention, sparking widespread debate across social media platforms and academic circles. The journal’s co-editors-in-chief, Eileen G Ernenwein and Gregory Tsokas, received multiple letters of concern and immediately began investigating the matter.

Publication of scientifically sound journ...

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References

Bibliographical reference

Eileen G Ernenwein, “Retraction and Reflection: The Gunung Padang Controversy and the Challenges of Peer Review in Archaeological Prospection”, ArcheoSciences, 49-1 | 2025, 607-610.

Electronic reference

Eileen G Ernenwein, “Retraction and Reflection: The Gunung Padang Controversy and the Challenges of Peer Review in Archaeological Prospection”, ArcheoSciences [Online], 49-1 | 2025, Online since 15 September 2025, connection on 11 September 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/22097; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/14nul

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